Mississippi ACDA

Saturday, February 24, 2018

I selected this well-known
ballad by Billy Joel for my women’s show choir this year as their show is based
on New York.Steve Zegree created some
beautiful harmonies in his arrangement.It has been a great crowd pleaser!

Light in the Hallway

Arranged by Jacob Cochran

This piece recorded by
Pentatonix, was chosen as my mixed group’s ballad as it fit perfectly with the
show based on the book Where the Wild Things Are.Jacob Cochran is an up and coming arranger.
This is just one of his beautiful arrangements.It begins withsolo and moves
into a duet.The choir enters with an a
capella section and closes with one as well.

Floating suspensions and understated piano lines characterize
Randall Stroope's haunting setting of the beautiful Christmas text from the
15th century. Scored for women's voices, piano and oboe, it is a rich, emotive
selection for the holiday season. When we performed this piece, our 1st
chair oboe player from our high school band played the oboe solo for us. It was
very special and always is when directors can add another student’s
instrumental talent to a choir concert.

The Cloths of Heaven

SSA and piano

Eleanor Daley

Alliance AMP0511

I performed this piece with
my women for festival season 2016. It’s a bit of a challenge in some areas, but
a great piece to use to teach your ladies proper syllabic stress through the
incorporation of simply beautiful poetry. It is included on the North Carolina,
Indiana, Texas, Mississippi, Minnesota, and Florida state lists of approved and
recommended repertoire.

Ndikhokhele Bawo (Xhosa Prayer)

SSAA with percussion

Mzwandile Mabuza

Hal Leonard

Ndikhokhele Bawo is a
traditional Xhosa song that almost every black South African grew up singing in
church. It is commonly sung during Holy Communion, as it is significant to do
so considering the text: “Guide me, O Lord, Guide me, O Great Redeemer through
the troubles of this world. Lord, I thank you for watching over me thus far.
You are forever by my side. Lord, I thank you for watching over me thus far.”

This
series is written for choirs that need simpler rhythmic content than our
Renaissance, Baroque and Classical series provide, while including the same
progression of solfege skills. Each mixed choir version contains one voice part
that stays within the cambiata range. The SAB and SA(T)B editions are musically
identical, the Bass part in the cambiata range. The (T) in the SA(T)B version
duplicates the Bass part in the Tenor clef, creating the appearance of four
voices in a three-voice composition - great for choirs with small (or weak)
tenor and/or bass sections. For boys' choirs, we provide the TCB (Treble,
Cambiata, Bass/Baritone) editions. SSA, TTB, and TBB editions are identical,
except for clefs.

Each February the
Mississippi Choral Community College organization provides a unique experience
for their students. The format of the two day event includes: individual
performances by each community college choir (ten minutes in length), a mass
choir (actually two mass choirs due to large number of participants) conducted
by musicians prominent in the choral field and a performance by a university
choir, either state or regional in origin. This month I thought I would share
with you what I’ve chosen for my ten minute concert.

NWCC repertoire was selected
by taking into consideration the time slot in which we perform, as well as an
awareness that our audience will consist of college students who will be
listening to 12 choirs in a short amount of time.

Bach (Again) Come Sweet
Death

SATB (a cappella)

Music by: J.S. Bach
Conceived: Edwin London

Arranged: Rhonda Sandberg

Colla Voce 45-21065

This is a great way to
combine the importance of singing Bach chorales with a unique twist that makes
it relatable to younger musicians. The piece begins very straightforward,
simply singing through the chorale. Then hand motions are added to reflect the
text. Finally, the beginning 8 measures are sung again, with each individual
choir member choosing their entrance and tempo with the whole group ultimately
returning to a unified ending in the last measure. The subject of death is
obviously a heavy one. As a conductor, sensitive to the emotional ups and downs
of the college students I teach, I chose to delve deeper into the symbolism of
the subject of dying. We had an interesting discussion about the death of
negative attitudes, the death of a bad habit and how we all desire for the
death or the resolution of our problems. This was done with the intent of
tempering a text that, for a student struggling with depression or anxiety,
could weigh heavily on them. It’s an enjoyable piece to teach and the staging coupled
with the solid score makes for a stunning opener for a concert.

Daemon Irrepit Callidus

SATB

Gyorgy Orban

Hinshaw Music 08763856

This is considered one of my
“chestnuts”. I have used this piece several times in my 25 years of conducting
and it is always a hit with the students and the audience.There is rhythmic and melodic contrast
throughout. In one section the sopranos, altos and basses hold a steady
rhythmic pattern while the tenors soar with a beautiful melody. This is
immediately followed by a syncopated portion with the altos, tenors and basses
while the soprano line smoothly moves through an almost modal melodic line. The
dramatic final two measures feature chromatic lines in varying directions
simultaneously by all four parts.The
students always react to the constant dissonance as well as the subject matter
with questions about not only their discomfort but also their attraction to the
piece. Their insights as they compare their visceral reaction to the music as
well as to the text that is reflected in the music make for great discussion.
It is gratifying to watch them grow to love singing this piece, as they always
do.

Bonse Aba

SATB

Victor C. Johnson

Heritage Music Press
15/2829H

I chose this song to
contrast the intensity of the above mentioned choices for my ten minute concert
at the community college state choral festival. It opens with 12 measures of
hand drum, djembe and shaker that can give the choir the opportunity to change
positions or perhaps incorporate some movement. This traditional Zambian folk
song was discovered by the composer while teaching a fine arts camp in Lusaka,
Zambia, Africa. The students sang Bonse Aba as a welcoming song to Victor
Johnson and from there he composed this arrangement. It is an easy piece to put
together with a short text and repetitive rhythmic and melodic lines.

Making More Sense of How to
Sing: Multisensory Techniques for Voice Lessons and Choir Rehearsals

The book description states:
“With multi-sensory techniques to match and build learning strengths, this book
is for any singer from the rank beginner to the experienced and mature singer.”

One of the things that drew
me to this book was the never ending quest we have as conductors to be able to
reflect with a physical motion the sound we would like to hear. Certainly, this
is not the first book to reflect this concept, but I found it worthy of
consideration here. There are illustrations that help in the comprehension of
the motions to be used in communicating abdominal support, breath, an open
relaxed position for singing, posture and vowel production. A good reference
guide.

Stand Together is a great piece for a non-auditioned high school
or middle school choir at the beginning of the year. The text speaks about
accomplishing more when we work together. Which is a great theme at the
beginning of the school year. The rhythms are complex with sixteenth note tied
across the beat. I used this to teach complex rhythms in our sight-reading.The
melodic lines are stepwise and skips that are predictable. Students can be
successful quickly and enjoy singing it.

Through the Dark

SATB accompanied

Andrea Ramsey

Pavane Publishing 08301900

Through the Dark has text adapted from the writings of Helen
Keller. There is a lot of “meat” on this bone musically and depth of text.
Musically there is mixed meter, harmonic dissonance, wide dynamic range, mostly
homophonic passages, long phrases and varying tempos. The text speaks of light
and darkness, sound and silence. My students related to this text very easily
as we discussed the light and dark in our own lives. The piano accompaniment
has little to do with the choir parts. Be sure your accompanist can listen to a
recording before playing so they have an idea of the gestalt.

Your Smiling Face

SATB

James Taylor Arr. Ken Berg

Alfred 33137

If you are interested in Vocal Jazz or Pop A Cappella, but you are
not ready to add vocal

percussion and movement, Your Smiling Face is a great jumping off
point for top your

ensemble. This may be perfect for the lighter side of your spring
concert. Audiences enjoy the throw back and your students will gain a knowledge
of James Taylor’s music. Before choosing this chart be sure you have a solid
singer that can handle the range of this solo. The accompaniment parts are
repetitive. There is a key change, which presents a minor learning challenge.
The texts and rhythms are mostly homophonic in texture. Enjoy!

Progressive Sight Singing Third Edition by Carol Krueger

Oxford University Press

Dr. Krueger’s approach to Sight Singing has reinvigorated my
passion for teaching students to be musically literate. Progressive Sight
Singing along with Dr. Krueger’s companion resources in her Dropbox (only $10
if you attend one of her workshops) have been an invaluable part of my
classroom. She sequences ear training, sight-reading, dictation, rhythm, melody
in an easy to follow procedure. You will choose your literature on what you
want your students to master over the course of the year. This year my
non-auditioned choirs have focused on major and minor tonalities, skips of a
third and audiation within those scales. The literature I chose is primary
major and minor. This spring I was able to choose a piece that goes back and
forth from major to minor and my students are successfully reading this on
solfege in two and three parts.

I highly recommend you attend one of her workshops. She will also
be at Lakeshore Choir Camp June 18-22 as the High School Clinician. Please
email Dr. Krueger for more information of her summer 2018 workshops at ckruegermusic@gmail.com

A delightful mixed meter
setting of familiar texts commonly used to open times of worship and
celebration.I have used the first part
of this piece as a processional, then repeating back to the beginning once the
choir has finished ascending to the loft.The constant meter changes will develop and sharpen the rhythm skills of
your singers and instrumentalists.The
melodic rhythm augments to half notes at the middle section, providing a
wonderful contrast, culminating in a huge crescendo into the final mixed meter
passages.The upper ranges of the final
chords can be a bit of a challenge for the treble voices, but these can be
revoiced if necessary.The orchestration
is challenging and will require detailed preparation.

I Will Not Be Shaken

SATB

Jacob Park and Tommy Walker

Arranged by Cliff Duren

LifeWay Worship,
6-34337-286464, Orchestration available

I have used this anthem with
student groups, adults, and senior adults.It is a fabulously bluesy setting utilizing a great melody, carrying a
fantastic text declaring the ability of God to serve as our refuge and
deliverer in times of trouble.Two
soloists take turns stating the opening theme, then can be used to provide some
duet call and response with the choir later in the song.As the intensity of the music ramps up
through each section, the choral director should be careful to adhere to the
opening tempo, because the building momentum will tend to accelerate the basic
pulse.The orchestration is supportive
and works well with a full instrumental group or with a small band.

Order My Steps (In Your
Word)

SATB

Glenn Burleigh

Arranged by Jack Schrader

Hope Publishing, C5083

Also available in SAB and
TTBB settings; Rhythm charts are available

I’m thinking right now that
most everyone has done this song, but in case you haven’t, it is a
classic.I’ve enjoyed using it with a
variety of groups; it always challenges me to reinterpret it based on the capability
of the singers and the context for use.If you have a duet team who is of a high caliber, you may want to
consider merging the Brooklyn Tabernacle version into this setting, which
utilizes the duet throughout, phrase by phrase, as a restatement of the choral
theme.It’s not hard to do and only
requires a repeat of ten measures in the first section.The song demands a full range of expression,
utilizing the softest softs as well as grand moments like the dramatic
crescendo into the final chorus.I
usually revoice the final line of the song if I want a stronger ending.You will enjoy the experience of hearing your
students learn to artfully express the beauty contained in this brilliant
setting.

Sing!How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church

By Keith and Kristyn Getty

B&H Publishing Group,
Nashville

Keith and Kristyn Getty, the
Irish performer/composer duo, are widely acknowledged as among the leading
modern hymn writers today.Keith helped
write what has become today’s most popular hymn, In Christ Alone.Their
focus continues to be producing theologically rich, singable music for the
church in this generation.This book is
filled with biblical, practical insight that, if put into practice, can help to
renew congregational singing in your church.It has been my personal experience that a church with a healthy
congregational worship life will have the most opportunities to develop strong
choral and instrumental ministries.Sing!
is a great resource to have handy when you are asked to explain why we
sing.After reading this book, the
question changes from “do you have a voice?” to “do you have a song?”There is much practical guidance provided,
including the foundational argument that singing is for everyone, especially
for families.

This song is in three parts. It is
beautifully written, but simple. A great piece for any level of secondary male
chorus.

Do You Fear the Wind

TTTB

Leland Sateren

Alfred Publishing Co. SCHCH00410

This is a standard piece, and a
challenge for a male choral group. It has been performed many times for good
reason. It is powerful when executed properly.

Canto Del Agua

TTB

David Hill

Alliance Music Publications 0384

This piece is also written for three
parts. It is a fun piece in the Spanish language, which offers an increasingly
common alternative to Latin texts and African folk songs. it is appropriate for
all secondary levels.

The Boy's Changing Voice

by Henry Leck

Hal Leonard Corporation

Henry Leck offers a holistic approach
to male choral singing in this DVD. He answers questions about the changing
voice and provides tools to be implemented into the rehearsal process. This is
a great resource for teachers who are seeking techniques to help guide young
male singers through this crucial phase in their life as a singer.

This arrangement of Jolene
is written like the Pentatonix recording with Dolly Parton.My girls are preparing this now and it has
been easy to teach!! This is also a great feature for soloist!

Linden Lea

TB

Larry Shackley

Heritage Music Press
15/3505H

I chose this piece for
District Festival this year.Based on a
William Barnes poem, this Ralph Vaughan Williams tune is beautiful in the young
male voice.The tenor section gives
those unchanged voices a chance to soar in the sweet places of the voice.Singers must however be independent and
certain as the accompaniment is very ornamental.Challenging for a two part octavo.

Dies Irae

SATB

Ryan Main

www.rayanmain.com

Found this piece at a
reading session this year!Great SATB for
the second semester junior high mixed choir.Voices are settling a bit and could have great success with this
piece.Dies Irae is very rhythmic and
has opportunities for great musicality!

Vocalize!

Composed and Arranged by
Andy Beck

Vocalize! Is a book of 45
accompanied vocal warm up that teach technique to younger voices.I love anything I can reproduce! We use this
resource mostly to remind singers of simple ways they can improve their tone,
articulation, range, and vocal energy.My students can use the accompaniment tracks and lead warm ups for me!